"Kid" Yamamoto: D. Hebertson/Sherdog.com
The biggest event in Japanese MMA, the New Year’s Eve FEG/K-1/Dream “Dynamite!” spectacular, will feature an intriguing mix of bouts that, in the Japanese tradition of hyping inter-promotional warfare, pit Dream fighters against Sengoku fighters. It’s step one in what could be a merging of Japan’s top two MMA organizations, as Sengoku’s chief sponsor, discount retailer Don Quijote, will reportedly be switching allegiances to Dream.
Chief among the “Dream vs. Sengoku” fights will be Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, one of the biggest ratings draws in Japan, against Masanori Kanehara, the surprise winner of Sengoku’s inaugural grand prix featherweight tournament in August. Until a May loss to Joe Warren in a Dream tournament, Yamamoto was long one of the sport’s top-ranked featherweights. The two semi-finalists in those respective Dream and Sengoku tournaments, Hiroyuki Takaya and Michihiro Omigawa, will also face off on Dec. 31.
The promotion also announced Alistair Overeem will bounce back quickly from a TKO loss in the K-1 World Grand Prix to fight under MMA rules against battle-tested Japanese heavyweight Kazuyuki Fujita. Former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski said in a live Internet chat this week that he had been sent paperwork to fight Overeem on the card, and couldn’t get a clear explanation about the change.
Also on the 17-fight bill, Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi, of Sengoku, will have his second MMA bout against Dream fighter and pro wrestler Katsuyori Shibata, and Japanese vets Akihiro Gono and Hayato Sakurai will clash.
The card from Saitama Super Arena will be the first Dynamite show to broadcast live in North America on HDNet.